Main Cast: Aldo Ray, Cliff Robertson, Raymond Massey, Barbara Nichols
Release Year: 1958
Country: US
Run Time: 131 minutes
Plot
Despite an ad campaign wherein RKO Radio congratulated itself for its "guts", this long-delayed film version of Norman Mailer's bestselling WW2 novel The Naked and the Dead still had to pull most of its punches (especially when it came to four-letter words). Aldo Ray heads the cast as sadistic sergeant Croft, who'd as soon kill one of his own men as he would the Japanese. Sensitive, moralistic Lieutenant Hearn (Cliff Robertson) tries to put a leash on Croft, but he's ordered to keep out of the situation by psychotic General Cummings (Raymond Massey), who is convinced that soldiers will fight harder the more they hate their superiors. The film wavers uncomfortably between excessive violence and excessive moralizing, with time out for a few ill-conceived slapstick setpieces (including an outsized barroom brawl) and romantic interludes with such zaftig beauties as stripteaser Lili (Lili St. Cyr) and good-time girl Mildred (Barbara Nichols). In one of his first film appearances, comedian Joey Bishop plays Pvt. Roth, whose reaction to Sgt. Croft's relentless anti-semitism culminates in a spectacular death scene. Distribution of The Naked and the Dead was taken over from the failing RKO Radio operation by Warner Bros., who also changed the name of the film's widescreen process from SuperScope to WarnerScope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Edward S. Haworth - Art Director, William L. Kuehl - Art Director, Oscar Rodriguez - Costume Designer, Russ Saunders - First Assistant Director, Raoul Walsh - Director, Arthur P. Schmidt - Editor, Bernard Herrmann - Composer (Music Score), Bernard Herrmann - Musical Direction/Supervision, Allan Snyder - Makeup, Joseph La Shelle - Cinematographer, Joseph C. Behm - Production Manager, Paul Gregory - Producer, William L. Kuehl - Set Designer, Robert B. Lee - Sound/Sound Designer, Denis Sanders - Screenwriter, Terry Sanders - Screenwriter, Norman Mailer - Book Author
The Naked and the Dead is a 1958 widescreen[1]film based on Norman Mailer's World War II novel The Naked and the Dead. Directed by Raoul Walsh and filmed in Panama the screenplay attributed to the Sanders Brothers adds a strip tease and larger action scenes to Mailer's original narrative. Filmed by RKO just before its demise the film was released by Warner Brothers and was the last film Raoul Walsh directed for that studio. The Naked and the Dead is the last film made by RKO before its demise.
Filled with flashbacks, the film relates the story of Lt Hearn (Cliff Robertson) who is an aide to General Cummings(Raymond Massey), who treats Hearn as a son and a friend. The General believes that commanding officers ought to inspire fear in their subordinates, in order to enforce discipline. Hearn expresses distaste for these views, preferring instead that soldiers should have mutual respect for each other, regardless of rank. Hearn is eventually transferred to lead a platoon on a dangerous reconnaissance mission.
The platoon had originally been led by Sgt Croft (Aldo Ray), who now must serve under Hearn. Croft is a professional soldier with a reputation for cruelty. Hearn's relatively idealistic approach is contrasted with Croft's desire to win at all costs. When Hearn considers abandoning the mission due to excessive Japanese presence, Croft tricks him into underestimating the enemy. This eventually leads to several deaths in the platoon, and Hearn himself is wounded. Some of the men head back, carrying Hearn on a stretcher. Meanwhile, Croft presses onward with the remaining men. Croft is killed in action, but his men accomplish their mission, relaying vital intelligence to headquarters. Hearn's men consider leaving him to die, as they can escape faster on their own, but decide to continue carrying him despite the risk. The survivors, including Hearn, make it back to headquarters. Once there, Hearn tells the General that the men who carried him on a stretcher did so out of love, not fear.
Production
The film was eventually picked up by Paul Gregory and Charles Laughton to be made after The Night of the Hunter. Terry and Dennis Sanders who had worked on the screenplay and Stanley Cortez who had photographed Night of the Hunter were to write and photograph the film[2] with Laughton directing. Press releases of the time said that Robert Mitchum was to star and Walter Schumann would compose the score.[3] The box office failure of Night of the Hunter led to the film being taken over by Raoul Walsh who brought in an uncredited writer to redo the Sanders screenplay[4][5] whilst Cortes was replaced by Joseph LaShelle.
The film was made on location in Panama with 250 American soldiers as extras, Hawaiian born soldiers as Japanese soldiers[6] and local actors from the Canal Zone Theatre Guild appeared in the film.[7]
